


As Fast As You Can

by i_write_a_lot



Category: White Collar
Genre: Amnesia, Concussions, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Hiding, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Minor Spoilers, Monsters, Other - Freeform, Running, Team, alleyways
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-02-05 15:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1823074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_a_lot/pseuds/i_write_a_lot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hurt and on the run from unseen monsters due to a heavy concussion, Neal attempts to find a safe harbor, while a desperate Peter and team searches for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Fast As You Can

**Author's Note:**

> -As usual, I do not own White Collar. 
> 
> -Comments and Kudos are much appreciated. Thank you for reading!

\--  
 _“Run, run, run as fast as you can,  
You can’t catch me-  
I’m the gingerbread man.”_  
\--

He was running. 

From monsters, from the FBI, from Peter who was sure to catch him…all his worst nightmares were chasing him, and there was no safe place to go. Neal struggled to keep running, but his head hurt, and he was exhausted and he didn’t want to be whining but he knew he sounded like he was. 

He just wanted to lay down and rest for a while. 

So, without further thought, he slipped behind a garbage can-no one would find him here-and slid down against the alleyway wall, and struggled to steady his breathing while his eyes slipped closed…

And he finally fell asleep.

/break\

“Neal? Neal, damn it!” Peter was shouting, looking for his moron of a partner who’d gotten whacked upside the head and was now missing. He’d run off when they’d not been looking-Peter had to stop doing that, sometime, and figure out how to make Neal stay put.

“Boss, I’ve got the local police and authorities on alert,” Diana said breathlessly, jogging up to him. “They’ll find him if we don’t. Do you think it was a concussion, maybe? He was hit pretty hard. He could think that he’s on the run from the police or something,” 

“Maybe. I knew we should’ve locked him in that ambulance.” Peter grumbled. 

“To which he’d have driven away with the ambulance,” Diana said with a raised eyebrow. “Or something. Look, boss, we’re going to find him, okay? I’m sure of it.”

Peter was about to respond, when something caught his attention-an alleyway, where a large recycling bin was there, and…

A familiar arm that was sticking out from behind it.

“Neal!” 

Peter rushed towards Neal, Diana hot on his trail, and the pair shoved the recycling bin away-it rolled easily out of their path-and dropped down to see that Neal was unconscious, and his head was bleeding.

A lot. 

“Get those medics over here!” Peter snapped at Diana, who looked like she had been one step ahead of him yesterday.

Peter gathered Neal up, setting him off the filthy ground and onto his clean work pants, and began to press some napkins he’d had in his pocket from lunch against Neal’s headwound.

“Damn it, Neal. Why’d you have to run away again?” Peter grumbled. “And look, now my jeans are filthy-El’s going to wonder what we’ve been up to, you know. And that probably means more brownies for you while she chides me about not keeping a better eye on you.”

Neal didn’t respond, but the police did-they finally arrived, along with Jones and the medics from earlier.

“Found him, boss? He looks rough. That guy sure did a number on him, didn’t he?” Jones asked, seeing Neal in his lap.

“We’re not sure how long he’s been unconscious, but I’ve been trying to stop the bleeding,” Peter offered-to both Jones and the medics. 

Jones and Peter went to stay next to Diana, while all three of them watched the medics take care of the unconscious Neal.

Then, after loading Neal up into the ambulance, it was off to the hospital. 

/break\

Neal knew he was dreaming again, but that didn’t help him from trying to escape the terrifying monsters that were attacking him from the walls and the ceiling. He shuddered as one of them came close-

And then blinked as they all vanished with the opening of the door. 

And in came another monster-

Peter.

“What are you doing here?” Neal croaked, looking at him with fearful eyes. 

Peter frowned, before moving to the sink and getting him a cup of water. He went over to sit next to Neal, and handed him the cup. Neal gratefully drank down half the cup-  
as slowly as he could-before holding it in his lap.

If the monsters came back, maybe he could throw the water at them to scare them off?

“What all do you remember?” Peter asked him finally, sounding oddly tense. 

“You’re…stealing your car,” Neal said, slowly. “And leaving you behind. Did I get into an accident? Is that how you caught me?”

Peter sighed. 

“Neal, that was four years ago,” Peter said, softly-carefully. Neal stared at him. 

“No…no that’s not right. This has to be a trick…” 

“Would it help if I called in Mozzie?”

Neal snapped his head up from the blanket he’d been staring into.

“You know Mozzie?”

“Much as Mozzie hates it, yes I know him. I also know him as the Dentist, from time to time, when he helps us with cases…I know this is confusing, Neal, and I know that this isn’t what you had in mind when you woke up earlier.” Peter said, insistently. “And I’m sorry, but this is what’s happening. If it helps, you’ve already gone through jail so you won’t have to worry about that. All you need now is to concentrate on getting better.” 

“Why are you being nice to me? I stole your car,” Neal said, bewildered. 

Peter smiled, and shook his head.

“Neal, that was four years ago. You’ve more than made up for it since then. Not only have you saved my life countless times, but you’ve also become friends with my wife, my dog-hell my whole team and I. You help us solve cases, you even buy us lunch from time to time. You got us to meet June, who’s a lovely lady, and she’s become friends with my wife as well. And besides, even if none of that had happened, I’d still…well, maybe I wouldn’t be as nice, but I wouldn’t be cruel, either.” Peter explained. 

Neal frowned. 

“Four years?” Neal mused, looking thoughtful. 

“Four years,” Peter confirmed.

Neal considered, and then said firmly, 

“Fine. I want to talk to Mozzie. And I want to speak to Kate too.” 

Peter winced, though obviously tried to hide it, and Neal blinked wondering what he’d said to cause such a wince. 

“I’ll get Mozzie,” Peter said finally, making to stand up from his chair. “I think he’s here by now, probably in the lobby and looking at people suspiciously while dressed in   
ridiciulous clothing to disguise himself. Finding him might be an issue, but thank god he gave me his cell number so that I can text him,”

“Sounds like Mozzie-except for the cell phone,” Neal said, frowning. “You convinced him to get a phone?”

“I told him it’d be easier to keep track of you,” Peter said, amused. “Plus he could call El more often, and June. He fell for it, hook line and sinker,” 

Neal smiled, unable to help himself. 

“That’s Moz,” He repeated, amused. Then paused, and glanced up at the ceiling warily, before looking at Peter who was watching him with a puzzled expression. “Could you…text him from here?”

Peter frowned, glanced at the ceiling as well, before shrugging and parked back down in the chair. 

And based on that action alone, Neal knew that they must trust each other more than what Peter was telling him. 

Because before, he had the idea that Peter would’ve just left him. 

To face the monsters alone.

/break\

When Moz finally got the text from the Suit, he was a bit surprised at what it said. He’d just been expecting to read: Neal’s awake. But instead, it read: Neal’s awake, panicked, and confused. He’s lost four years, and wants to see you.

Mozzie froze at the text, shook his head, and glanced at the young lady that was selling coffee at the coffee stand outside the hospital. 

“Can you please make that three cups of coffee? One black, one with sugar and crème, and another that’s black with a bit of sugar,” 

“Sure thing,” The girl made to do just that, and Mozzie stood impatiently, hoping she’d hurry faster.

A few moments later, and the coffee was paid for, and Mozzie was moving sneakily through the hospital, using the elevator because it was faster than stairs, and then made it to Neal’s room. He’d already learned what room number and everything about the room that he could, in case of emergencies.

He knocked on the door in his favorite pattern, and the Suit opened it-revealing a Neal with a white bandage wrapped around his head. 

“I come bearing coffee,” Mozzie declared, glancing around the room. “Not exactly five star, but it’ll do. Here, Neal.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to drink coffee with a head wound,” The Suit objected, but didn’t do anything as Neal accepted the cup that Mozzie gave him. Then the Suit appeared surprised when Mozzie handed him a cup. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now, what’s happened that Neal’s lost four years of his life?” Mozzie demanded. 

“We were capturing an art thief who’s a lot faster than he appears, and he slammed a vase-a really, really expensive vase-over Neal’s head before kicking him into the wall. 

Neal got knocked unconscious, we took him out to the ambulance that was waiting for him, and we were going to take him to the hospital-when he panicked and ran. We found him in the alleyway, and now here we are.” Peter explained. 

“Two knocks upside the head? That’s better than usual,” Mozzie said wryly. “Don’t you ever get a case where you’re not injured, Neal?”

“I, uh…” Neal was obviously confused, before sighing and shaking his head. “I don’t know,” He admitted quietly. 

“Well, seeing as how you’re awake, let’s get some time to go over things.” Mozzie said firmly. 

“After I go to the bathroom. I just drank a cup of water, and some coffee, I really need bathroom first,” Neal said pleadingly, and Mozzie sighed and nodded. Neal began to get out of the bed, though his ankle got caught up in one of the blankets-

He tripped and before any of them could react, he fell and slammed his head against the edge of the nightstand next to his bed.

For a moment there was nothing but horrified silence. 

And then both Mozzie and Peter were moving fast to help him, and Neal was slowly sitting up, wincing as he held his head. 

“Peter?” Neal asked, sounding surprised-and then he frowned when he glanced around the room. “How’d we get here? We were last in that art gallery, weren’t we?”

Peter and Mozzie exchanged looks, and gave relieved grins.

It seemed as though Neal had finally got caught up to speed again.

/break\

“You’re saying I lost my memories?” Neal asked, as he was sitting at the Burke’s house. He was dressed in his regular clothing instead of hospital garb, he still had a small bandage on his head, and he looked much better than before. “That must’ve been rough.”

“You were convinced that monsters were chasing you,” Peter said wryly. “Such as me and the FBI,” He added. 

Neal winced.

“Sorry,” He apologized, and Peter shook his head. 

“It’s nothing,” He insisted. “I’m just glad you’ve got your memories back and you’re okay,” He added, leaning back in his chair, and scratching Satchmo’s ears. 

“Me too. So I ran, did I? Nice to know that even though I ran as fast as I can, you can still catch me. Granted, I was unconscious, but you caught me.”

“It’d be easier if you did that again next time,” Peter said, grinning. “Because when you’re unconscious, at least I don’t have to put up with your paranoia and annoying habit of getting into trouble.”

“I see how it is. You want me to be unconscious for every case now, do you?” Neal challenged, grinning at him. 

They started bickering back and forth, both of them grinning and relieved that things had turned out well yet again, even as El came out onto the porch with three mugs of coffee and brownies.

\--  
End


End file.
